A C421 pilot, taxiing for takeoff at sgr, responded to another aircraft's clearance and taxied past ...

Attributes
ACN	565154
Time
Date	200211
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sgr.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Golden Eagle 421
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sgr.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	565154
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While holding short of runway 17 at the sugarland airport (sgr) awaiting an IFR release from the approach tower, I was cleared into 'position and hold' by the sgr tower. I repeated the clearance back to the tower and proceeded past the hold short lines to comply with my clearance. As I started to move I looked to the north to see if final was clear and then looked to the south and noticed another aircraft was moving from another taxiway toward the runway from a hold short position. This other aircraft was approximately 1500 ft away. I then immediately stopped my aircraft before entering the runway surface area while still on the taxiway. I then was going to query the tower as to which aircraft was cleared into position. Before I was able to ask the tower, the tower called my aircraft and said it looked like I had passed the hold short lines. I explained to the tower that I believed that I was cleared into position on the runway and had read back my clearance with my tail number, to comply with the clearance. Apparently both aircraft ended in similar letters and perhaps both aircraft may have read back the clearance at the same time. The tower seemed busy with several aircraft inbound and also looking for 2 IFR releases, mine, and the aircraft behind me. Since the tail numbers were similar, or the 2 xmissions occurred at the same time, the controller might have not realized the error that had occurred. Fortunately, when I started to taxi past the hold short line, I noticed the other aircraft's movement to the south and stopped immediately. No disruption or go around's occurred by other aircraft. The aircraft to the south was cleared for takeoff and then I was cleared into position and hold followed by a takeoff clearance. It was possible that I responded to the wrong tail number, or the controller said the wrong tail number. Either way, when traffic levels are high, both pilots and controllers must query each other when in doubt to prevent this and similar sits.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C421 PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT SGR, RESPONDED TO ANOTHER ACFT'S CLRNC AND TAXIED PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE.

Narrative: WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 17 AT THE SUGARLAND ARPT (SGR) AWAITING AN IFR RELEASE FROM THE APCH TWR, I WAS CLRED INTO 'POS AND HOLD' BY THE SGR TWR. I REPEATED THE CLRNC BACK TO THE TWR AND PROCEEDED PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINES TO COMPLY WITH MY CLRNC. AS I STARTED TO MOVE I LOOKED TO THE N TO SEE IF FINAL WAS CLR AND THEN LOOKED TO THE S AND NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT WAS MOVING FROM ANOTHER TXWY TOWARD THE RWY FROM A HOLD SHORT POS. THIS OTHER ACFT WAS APPROX 1500 FT AWAY. I THEN IMMEDIATELY STOPPED MY ACFT BEFORE ENTERING THE RWY SURFACE AREA WHILE STILL ON THE TXWY. I THEN WAS GOING TO QUERY THE TWR AS TO WHICH ACFT WAS CLRED INTO POS. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO ASK THE TWR, THE TWR CALLED MY ACFT AND SAID IT LOOKED LIKE I HAD PASSED THE HOLD SHORT LINES. I EXPLAINED TO THE TWR THAT I BELIEVED THAT I WAS CLRED INTO POS ON THE RWY AND HAD READ BACK MY CLRNC WITH MY TAIL NUMBER, TO COMPLY WITH THE CLRNC. APPARENTLY BOTH ACFT ENDED IN SIMILAR LETTERS AND PERHAPS BOTH ACFT MAY HAVE READ BACK THE CLRNC AT THE SAME TIME. THE TWR SEEMED BUSY WITH SEVERAL ACFT INBOUND AND ALSO LOOKING FOR 2 IFR RELEASES, MINE, AND THE ACFT BEHIND ME. SINCE THE TAIL NUMBERS WERE SIMILAR, OR THE 2 XMISSIONS OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME, THE CTLR MIGHT HAVE NOT REALIZED THE ERROR THAT HAD OCCURRED. FORTUNATELY, WHEN I STARTED TO TAXI PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE, I NOTICED THE OTHER ACFT'S MOVEMENT TO THE S AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. NO DISRUPTION OR GAR'S OCCURRED BY OTHER ACFT. THE ACFT TO THE S WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND THEN I WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD FOLLOWED BY A TKOF CLRNC. IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT I RESPONDED TO THE WRONG TAIL NUMBER, OR THE CTLR SAID THE WRONG TAIL NUMBER. EITHER WAY, WHEN TFC LEVELS ARE HIGH, BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS MUST QUERY EACH OTHER WHEN IN DOUBT TO PREVENT THIS AND SIMILAR SITS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A C421 pilot, taxiing for takeoff at sgr, responded to another aircraft's clearance and taxied past the hold short line.